Recieic of ttetiew), 119/06. 



The GoUin^wood "Tote. 



2ii 



can easily escape during a raid. 

 At critical times a couple of 

 ferocious bulldogs guard the trap- 

 door. Ever)- department is cap- 

 ably organised, and by every in- 

 genious contrivance precaution i.s 

 taken against raid. 



For instance, the police could 

 raid the place every day, but 

 under the present circumstances 

 they would find all the birds had 

 flown. As soon as they appeared 

 in the neighbourhood, the " office' 

 would W given. They would 

 have to enter in the ordinar\- way. 

 for all the surrounding cottages 

 belong to the " Tote " King. But 

 when they got into the asphalt 

 yard they could go no further. 

 There are no doors or windows to 

 admit them. Before they could 

 get in they would have to batter 

 down a lo-foot high wall. As 

 sixjn as the first blows were 

 struck — probably long before — 

 all the clerks and officials in the 

 building could move out coolly through the trap- 

 door, down secret passages, through several cot- 

 tages, and come out of an ordinarily respectable- 

 looking house into the street. And after the police- 

 men had forced an entrance they could find nothing 

 except a few rare-cards and torn tickets. The crowd 

 cculd even safely remain in the yard and give them 

 satirical advice. 



The " Tote " manipulators owe much of their suc- 

 cess to the sympathy of certain people in the neigh- 

 bourhood, much in the same way in which the Dick 

 Turpins of England, and the " Starlights " and 

 " Thundertolts," of Australia were able to defy the 

 law through the good offices of allies and supporters. 

 Many of these people are past masters in the art of 

 " bluff." In a certain alleged tea-shop in the neigh- 

 I'turhood, a betting man who happened, however, 

 to be a stranger, and was so well dressed that he 

 naturally aroused suspicion, asked to put on half-a- 

 sovereign on the "Tote." The tea merchant re^ardt-d 

 him with an air of injured innocence. " What do 

 you want ?"' he asked. " I want to put half-a-quid 

 on the ' Tote.' " "What 'Tote ' ?" "Wren's ' Tote.' " 

 The shopkeeper reflected a moment, " Wren's 'Tote,' " 

 he murmured ; " oli, I believe there was once a 

 'Tote' down this way, somewhere along the street 

 there." He looked quite uninterested, but added, 

 for the stranger's benefit, " That was some years 

 ago." And a stranger might walk all around Col- 

 lingwood without ever finding out from the innocent 

 inhabitants that there was such a thing in the world 

 as a " Tote " shop or such a personage as " Jack " 

 Wren. 



Another anil a closer view of the previous picture. 

 ■■THE PUSH." 



Round the cottages in Sackville-street, at every 

 corner and along all the avenues of approach, slouch 

 the "Tote" bullies — otherwise scouts — on the look- 

 out for the enemy. Nowhere else in the city, except 

 in Bourke-street, on a big race day, from Russell- 

 place to Swanston-street, which has been called the 

 " .-Vustralian Bight," could such a formidable and 

 motlev collection of wasters be seen. Touts, " guns," 

 broken-down " bruisers," " lads," spielers, and profes- 

 sional " chuckers-out " — such people infest this 

 neighbourhood like noxious weeds. They are the 

 worst class of loafers. They [lut in all their time 

 leaning against the fence, smoking, and watching 

 and waiting to " touch " somebody for the price of a 

 long beer. The very fat man at the gate attracts 

 .Tttention. He is bloated and beery-looking, but, 

 despite his occupation, he possesses that undefinable 

 something known as quality, and speaks like a 

 well-educated man. He requires great tact, and 

 e\en a knowledge of human nature to know at a 

 glance whom to pass or whom to block. He has to 

 give the " office " in time of danger, to turn aside 

 ns gently as possible the prying visitor and to keep 

 his subordinates in check. He is the lender of the 

 bull-dogs. At the corner stands a medium-sized 

 man, who appears to have no interest in life what- 

 ever. With his long, narrow head, as though 

 carved out of wood, flattened nose, and dull, lifeless 

 eyes, he has no more expression than a Maori graven 

 image. The rest of the " push " are little fellows, 

 half-starved, miserable- looking weeds; they are 

 mainly " light-weights," however, quick as cats, and 

 capable of " walking all over " even big men who 



